The Ocean Health Initiative supported projects that result in meaningful improvements to the health of threatened marine and coastal species and habitat. The Initiative engaged diverse communities, including youth and minorities, in targeted projects in key watersheds of the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico to restore fish and wildlife and their habitats and directly engage people and communities in aquatic conservation work.
The Ocean Health Initiative focused on targeted conservation to increase the quality of the nation's coastal and marine habitats along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico. Projects received throughout the broad marine and coastal conservation portfolio of the Foundation were selected that most represent the spirit of the partners in fostering community stewardship to bolster coastal and marine resources. The goal of the Initiative was to support a portfolio of projects that results in meaningful improvements to the health of threatened marine and coastal species and habitats while actively engaging communities near SeaWorld entertainment locations.
Key areas of interest included:
- Engaging diverse communities, including youth and minorities, in marine and coastal conservation;
- Conserving and protecting threatened sea turtle, marine mammal, seabird and shorebird populations;
- Enhancing the health of major estuaries on the East Coast, such as the Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico;
- and Reducing pollution in upstream riparian corridors, such as the James and Schuylkill rivers, promoting a headwaters to the oceans approach to aquatic conservation.
| Ocean Health Initiative Recently Funded Projects 2016-2017 | Download the PDF |